Metering device



Sept. 2, 1941. T. B. DOE 2,254,274

METERING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Fi E THOMAS B.DOE

l fm ATTORNEY Sept. 2, 1941. T B. DOE

METERING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR THoMAs B. 1705 v 4 W ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2,1341

uNi- 'Eo STATE DEVICE Thomas B. Doe, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Waterbury Tool Company, Waterbury, Com, a corporation or Connecticut I Application May 12,1921, Serial N 142 .221

4 Claims. (01121 -95) This invention relates to metering devices for power transmissions, particularly to those for transmissions 'of the type comprising two or more fluid pressure energy translating devices one of which may function as a pump and another as a fluid motor. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic power transmission system wherein a pump supplies fluid at a substantially constant pressure to a fluid motor. The fluid motor can be automatically regulated to drive a load device at any desired speed against varying load torques by means of a metering device and control mechanism. The metering device. is so constructed as to provide two pairs of inlet and outlet ports whereby-anequal fluid pressure is provided in diametrically opposite ports thereby obtaining a balanced effect between cylinder and valve plate. By means of two pairs of inlet and outlet ports insthe respective valve plates, the displacement I double that of a unitwhere only a single pair'of ports are provided which will give greater variable speed range in many instances where it is desirable to provide some means for varying the speed of the fluid motor over a considerable range without steps.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a power transmission system incorporating a preferred form of the present invention.

Fig. 2, is a horizontal sectional view of a metering device and control mechanism forming one of the elements of the system of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line. 5-5 of Fig. 2. Referring now to Fig. 1- there is illustrated a 3 source of fluid pressurecomprislng a variable pressure conduit 20. The quantity of fluid de-,

livered is determined by the inclination of the upon adecrease in pressure inthe line and position of the tilting'box being controlled by a constant pressure regulating mechanism 24 comprising a spring-loaded piston 26 which is connected to a tilting box operating'stud 28 and operates to increase the displacement of the pump to decrease the displacement 'of the pump upon an increase in pressure in the line 20.

The shaft 22 may be driven from a. suitable prime mover, such asv an electric motor 30. vThe.

conduit 20 branches off into .conduits- 32 .and 34 which connect to valve plates 36 and 38 (Fig. 2), respectively, on either side 'of themetering device 40. The constructionof the fluid motor 46 may be similar to that of thepump .Ili except that in place of a tilting boxfthe motor 46 is provided with a fixed angle box in which a socket ring is journalled and a cylinder barrel coacts with a valve plate 48 having a pair of arcuate valve ports to which are connected conduits 52 and 54 through which fluid is delivered to 'and expelled from the cylinder barrel. Conduits 52 .and 54 are connected to a reverse valve 50. Ports 56 and 58 of the reverse valve are connected through conduit I 6 to the suction port of the pump l0. Port 60 is connected through conduits 82 and 64 to valve plates 38 and 36 of the metering device 40. The motor 46 drives an independent load device indicated diagrammatically at Referring now to fluid metering device 40 which includes a pilot motor 68 for operating the metering device.' A cylinder barrel 10 is rotatably mountedyto have each face abutting the face of valve plates 36 and 38. The cylinder barrel 10 is provided' with a plurality of parallel longitudinal bores 12 within which fre pistons 14 are reciprocably mounted.

.The barrel I0 is carried by ashaft'lli, thetwo being, keyed to one another by'keysJ8-for simultaneous rotation so as to permit a slight universal joint action to take care of possible. misalignment between the axis of shaft 16 and the plane of .theqvalve plates 36 and38,; Valveplate3ii has two pairs of cylindrical chambers fill and- 82 com- ..municating with. ports 84 and 8 6,; respectively.

The-platter are adapted to. be slidablyqreceived on cylindrical bosses, 3 8 'formedjin acasing 'of:,the metering device; 40,- Two pairs :,of; conduits 92 and 94 connect the chambers. 82-and I 80, with branch conduits 34 and 32,, respectively,

leading to the main conduit 20 and valve port 60, respectively. 1 Valve plate, 36 has twowlpairs tilting box l4 relative to a main shaft 22, the

of arcuate valve ports l08'and I llipcommunicating by conduits Hill and I04. with conduits 32 Fig. ,2 there is illustrated the and 64, respectively. Mounted within a suitable recess in valve plate 36 is the pilot motor 68 which can be of any suitable construction and is illustrated as of the well-known internal-external gear type having inlet and outlet ports 96 and 98. Thepilot motor 68 is connected to an extension of the shaft 16 whereby the motor 68 may rotate the shaft 16 and cylinder barrel ill at any desired speed. The motor 68 is supplied with fluid from conduit I through a branch conduit I62 (see Fig. 5) having an adjustable throttle valve 44 therein leading to the intake port 96. The outlet port 98 delivers fluid through passage I06 and conduit 42 to main line l6.

In operation the prime mover 30 is started causing the pump ID to deliver fluid to conduit 20. The quantity delivered automatically varies a to maintain a constant pressure in conduit 26 by the pressure regulating mechanism 24. The valve 44 may be openedto admit fluid to the pilot motor 68, thus causing the cylinder'barrel ill to revolve at a speed determined by the opening of the valve 44. In so doing it will be seen that as each bore 12 passes on to pressure ports I68 of valve member 36, its pistons 14 on opposite sides of cylinder barrel 10 will be pushed to the right in Fig. 2, and a corresponding quantity or fluid is discharged through th valve ports 84, branch conduits 62, port 66, reverse valve 56 and conduit 52 to motor 46. Likewise as each cylinder bore 12 passes on to pressure ports 86, fluid delivered from the pump ill will move the pistons 14 to theAeft discharging a corresponding amount of fluid through the ports HILto the branch conduit 64, port 66 or the reverse valve 60, and conduit 52 to motor 46. The quantity of fluid delivered to the cylinder barrel offluid motor 46 through the metering device 46 is thus determined by the speed at which the cylinder barrel I0 revolves; which is determined by the setting of the throttle valve 44. It will be seen that the motor 46 and the load device 66, may be operated at any desired constant averagespeed regardless of varying load conditions inasmuch. as the speed is determined by the setting of the throttle valve 44 which is independent of the pressure drop across the cylinders 12.-

It will be noted that the metering device comprising. the barrel 16 and its associated pistons and valve ports is so constructed as to avoid any direct transmission of torque to the shaft 16 due to fluid .pressure differences across the lines 32--34 and 62-64. The torque required to turn the barrel I0 is thus independent of pressure maintained in the branch lines 32 and 34 and of back pressure in lines 62 and 64. .The movable valve plate 38 is arrangedto automatically take up clearance between the valve surfaces at the opposite ends of the barrel 16. The area of the cylindrical chambers 86 and 82 is such that the resultant oithe axial fluid, pressure forces effective on the valve plate 38 has a tendency to mov ,the valve plate 38 to,t he, left in ,Fig. 2. Reverse valve 66 which is shown as operated by hand lever H2 can reverse the pressure lines of motor 46- independently, without reversing the dire'ction'of rotation of the fluid metering device 40 orp H'- While 'the form of embodiment of the invention asherein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood hat other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which iollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A metering device operable to deliver fluid at an average rate proportional to the speed at which the device operates comprising a rotatable block having a plurality of cylinders therein with a distributing port at each end, freely slidable pistons in said cylinders, means forming inlet and outlet ports cooperating wtih one end of said cylinders, means'forming inlet and outlet ports cooperating with the opposite ends of said cylinders, and in alignment with the outlet and inlet ports respectively at the one end of the cylinders, means for rotating said cylinder block, means for connecting the inlet ports to a common inlet duct and means for connecting the outlet ports to a common outlet duct.

2. A metering device operable to deliver fluid at an average rate proportional to the speed at which the device operates comprising a rotatable block having a plurality of cylinders therein with a distributing port at each end, freely slidable pistons in said cylinders, a conduit for supplying fluid to said device, a conduit receiving fluid from said device and stationary valve ports cooperating with distributing ports of the cylinders for alternately connecting the ports at opposite ends of each cylinder first to the supply conduit and receiving conduit respectively and then to the receiving conduit and supply conduit respectively.

3. A metering device operable to deliver fluid at an average rate proportional to the speed at which the device operates and in which the driving load is independent of th pressure drop across the device comprising a rotatable block having a plurality of cylinders therein with a distributing port at each end, freely slidable pistons in said cylinders, means forming a pair of inlet and outlet ports cooperating with the ports at one endof said cylinders, means forming a second pair of inlet and outlet ports cooperating with the ports at the opposite ends of said cylinders, means for rotating said cylinder block, means for connecting an inlet port of each pair with a common inlet duct, and means for connecting an outlet port of each pair with a common outlet duct.

4. A metering device operable to deliver fluid at an average rate proportional to the speed at which the device operates and in which the driving load is independent of the pressure drop across the device comprising a rotatable block having a plurality of parallel cylinders therein with a distributing port at each end, freely slidable pistons in said cylinders, a valve plate abutting one end of said cylinder block and having a pair of inlet and outlet ports cooperating with the ports at one end of said cylinders, a second valve plate abutting the other end of said cylinder block and having a .pair of inlet and outlet ports cooperating with the ports at the opposite ends of said cylinders, one of said valve plates being axially, movable toward said cylinder block, means for maintaining said valve plate in contact with the cylinder-block and for maintaining thecylinder block in contact with the other valve plate, means for rotating said cylinder block, means-for connecting an inlet port of each pair too. common inlet duct, and means for connecting an outlet port of each pair to a com- THOMAS B. DOE.

, mon outlet duct. 

